DSL Ideas and Suggestions :: DSL for Etch? or even Sarge?
Wondering if anyone knows if there will be an updation of DSL to use a more current Debian base. Trying to install newer packages is breaking my system, and backports just aren't available for some of what I am searching.
Or are we forever resigned to our sources.list having /oldstable as the main repository?
I know that DSL dislikes the 2.4.x kernel because of its size, but this shouldn't mean that we are stuck without newer packages.
Just a thought.
I'm sure a lot of people (including me) wonder the same thing vis a vis the long-term future of dsl as woody becomes more out of date. The same might be said of the 2.4.x kernel (old hardware support notwithstanding).
I don't know what the honchos think but I imagine - if it happens - it might only happen out of absolute necessity (ie when too much is obsolete) a fair way down the track.
I also imagine it would be a lot of work - the current extension repo might need to coexist with a eg sarge-based repo for a while. Some key libraries (eg libc) versions would need to be different I think. I suppose that might mean that either there would need to be two versions of dsl, or perhaps there'd be a massive "upgrade" extension to overwrite a lot of stuff.
Sounds hard.
On the other hand, it might be nice to see a 2.6 kernel, sarge or later, knoppix-based microdistro. It would probably be easiest to start with a non-unionfs Knoppix and strip it down much as John originally did with an earlier knoppix. Could it possibly be a 50MB iso though? Perhaps not with Firefox.
And for now, for most ordinary things, the current dsl is enough. Where it isn't I don't use it :=)
It was explained in the RoadMap thread how we will handle the future of DSL.
The current DSL will continue to be maintained and improved for older hardware. We will not try to stretch the 50MB limit to support both old and new hardware. I tried that with the 2.4.31 kernel version and both sides old and new were not adequately supported.
There will be a new, and different, version moving forward. Not a replacement but a second offering based on 2.6 kernel. I have created such, in a tiny app-less core upon which useful desktop apps will be added. I am still shaking out the early bugs in the core mydsl & backup/restore parts of this system.
As I said though, dsl development will continue as long as there are old/older machines hungry for a Linux desktop that will make them sing.
With the dropp of much win 98 and Me support it seems there will be a big surge in intrest for DSL during 2006.
There will be tons of PII-300+, 96Mb+ ram, agp video boxes with worn out hard drives floating around.
The very stable previous kernel on 50Mb business card Cd base system together with the super easy and clean MyDSL add-on is just brilliant for making two generations ago hardware more useful. It's a fully coordinated match.
original here.